News Releases

The Harris Centre at Memorial University is preparing for a regional workshop in Placentia. Memorial students, staff and faculty will meet with local people to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the Southwest Avalon region. The ultimate goal is to create partnerships that lead to further research and work on the ideas generated at the session.

The regional workshop, taking place on Thursday, June 6, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., has been organized in collaboration with local representatives from the Department of Innovation, Business and Rural Development, the Department of Advanced Education and Skills, Eastern Destination Management Organization, Eastern Regional Waste Management Board, Long Harbour Development Corporation, Placentia Area Historical Society, Rural Secretariat, St. Marys Bay North Regional Development Association and the Town of Placentia.

As part of the planning process, the Harris Centre consulted with these organizations to determine specific areas of regional interest for the workshop.The topic that the group decided upon is Dealing With the Challenges and Opportunities of Mega-project Development. They also divided the primary theme into three separate sub-themes: addressing labour shortages, fostering industrial development and co-operation, and dealing with social impacts of industrial development.

The morning part of the session will be dedicated to sharing the research that Memorial is currently doing in the region. The afternoon session will delve deeper into the three topics selected by the organizing group. Participants will break into three groups to discuss challenges and suggest possible areas for further research, teaching and public engagement. It will be an opportunity for the members of the region to help shape the work that happens at Memorial; everyone will be encouraged to share their input and ideas.

There will also be a Memorial Presents public forum held over lunch from 12:30-2:30 p.m. on the day of the workshop. Mark Shrimpton of Stantec Consulting and Bill Hogan, mayor of Placentia, will discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the region. All members of the public, including those not attending the full-day session are invited to attend the Memorial Presents forum. Lunch will be provided and the event will be webcast live from the Harris Centre website for those unable to attend in person.

Interested in attending the regional workshop and/or the Memorial Presents forum? Please register at www.mun.ca/harriscentre. For more details, check the website or contact Amy Tucker at 709-864-6115 or amy.tucker@mun.ca.